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2013.06.10

Article by Shaharaine P. Abdullah Next former Smashing Pumpkins band member in this series is Lisa Harriton (birthdate: November 18, 1980) Lisa Rae Harriton is an English musician who is best known for her brief stint as the touring keyboardist and back-up vocalist for The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007. Pre-Pumpkins Lisa was born and raised in a musical family – her mother Terry Harriton is a Los Angeles studio singer, while her father Michael Harriton is a composer and musician; her older brother Steven is a guitarist. At the age of 8, Lisa was already working as a studio singer

2013.05.28

Article by Corenski Nowlan The Smashing Pumpkins could be the poster child for dysfunctional bands. Their history is a tapestry of conflict and scandal. They have a fast-paced revolving door for musicians – especially bassists. There is an established pattern at play; depression, drugs, departures, and defaming. Someone ought to plot a roadmap for the benefit of all current and future members that explains how to pack it up and vamoose from Pumpkin-land, and what to expect after your emancipation. For example, how does one cope with the inevitable public deconstruction of character and the flaunting of flaws to any

2013.05.20

Article by Shaharaine P. Abdullah (with additional input by Arthur van Pelt) Pumpkins of the Past continues with D’arcy Wretzky (birthdate: May 1, 1968) D’arcy Elizabeth Wretzky is the original bassist for The Smashing Pumpkins. Known for her trademark platinumblonde hair and rather laconic persona, D’arcy’s tenure with the Pumpkins lasted through 6 albums, before abruptly leaving in the midst of recording for “Machina/The Machines of God” to reportedly pursue an acting career. Pre-Pumpkins Born and raised in Michigan, D’arcy grew up in a brood of 3 girls (the older sister is Kelly, while the younger sister is Molly). Their

2013.05.06

Article by Shaharaine P. Abdullah Let’s move this series forward with Ginger Pooley (birthdate: April 22, 1977) Ginger A. Pooley (formerly known as Ginger Reyes or by her stage name Ginger Sling) is the bassist for California pop punk band Halo Friendlies and more widely-known for her brief stint as the touring bassist who replaced Melissa Auf der Maur in The Smashing Pumpkins. Pre-Pumpkins Ginger was born in Chicago, Illinois and hails from Peruvian ancestry. She has been writing and playing songs since freshman high school and was in a Christian ska band in La Crescenta, California called the Israelites.

2013.04.26

Article by Derek Miller Bob Stern, the creator of the Vinyl Schminyl Radio, sits down with SPfreaks to discuss his history in radio, meeting and speaking with Billy Corgan, and his opinions on vinyl. Diverse Radio Background When I was a kid I used to go to downtown Chicago to WLS and WCFL to watch the DJs. I love music and realized that’s what I wanted to do. I never did any radio in high school, but I did in college. As a matter of fact, the first college I went to I started a small student-run radio station and

2013.04.22

Article by Shaharaine P. Abdullah We continue the former Smashing Pumpkins band members series with Matt Walker (birthdate: May 21*, birth name Matt Snyder*) Matt Walker is an American musician, composer and producer, best known for his stints as a drummer for The Smashing Pumpkins, Filter and Morrissey. * The year of birth of Matt Walker, and the reason for changing his last name from Snyder to Walker, is unknown at the moment. As far as we know this information has not been made public until now. Pre-Pumpkins In the mid-1980s, Matt began his career by playing drums for a range of Chicago bands

2013.04.08

Article by Shaharaine P. Abdullah (D’arcy Wretzky, James Iha, Billy Corgan & Jimmy Chamberlin) In a culture that rewards sentimentalism, most bands with The Smashing Pumpkins’ illustrious history would be content to churn out old hits, but the choice to remain relevant in the music industry without sacrificing artistry is a noble undertaking continually pursued by the Pumpkins with Billy Corgan at the helm. (Melissa Auf der Maur, James Iha, Billy Corgan & Jimmy Chamberlin) While The Smashing Pumpkins’ intermittent line-ups over the years have divided fans and critics alike (which is the better album, the better guitarist/bassist/drummer, etc.), no one

2013.03.06

Article by Arthur van Pelt (Part of the) Tanah Lot Temple Complex, Bali (Indonesia) Holiday in Indonesia So here I was last month, on a well deserved holiday with my family of three, visiting our son’s grandparents in Malaysia, and spending a week with my wife in Indonesia. I will not bore you with the tourist spots like temples, palaces, hot springs, volcanoes, a coffee farm, and other interesting places that we visited. Instead, this article will highlight a certain aspect of the music industry in this part of Asia that I was finally able to experience firsthand. Between the